Dilemma
by ICPeach
Summary: Dominic has resided in Mexico for a little over two years, cutting off contact with Mia and the Team for their safety. Now, he's returned home.
1. Default Chapter

Note: Greetings dear readers. This fiction takes place a little over two years after the last heist in the movie. Dominic is MIA after escaping but the others return home, safely, after Brian manages to get them off the hook. Now, I make no claim to the creation of the characters from TFATF or anything closely related to the motion picture. All others are mine and you cannot have them. unless you ask nicely LOL.  
  
Dominic. Her long lasting crush had begun when she heard that name. She had just turned eight. He was eleven. She had been sitting on her front porch, two houses up on the left, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She heard yelling and then a door slam, and then he appeared. A bronze God in the making, crossing his yard and seething through his teeth as his mother demanded that he pick up the groceries from the little market on 62nd street while on his way home from ball.  
  
"Hey! Dominic Antonio! I am talking to you!" his mother had yelled. Letty watched him throw his shirt down on the ground and storm off. What the big deal was, she never knew. Maybe he was just embarrassed. Maybe it was someone else's job and he just didn't feel like doing it. He continued to storm away as she rattled off at him in Italian.  
  
"Dominic," Letty had said, softly to herself. As if he'd heard her, Dom looked over. He slowed and watched her numbly bite into her bread, and then he smirked. He gave her a small wave and chuckled. Letty chewed, open mouthed and shyly waved back.  
  
She wouldn't see him again for another week until Mia marched over to her house after Sunday mass. She banged on the screen door and peered in nosily as Letty thundered down the stairs. She stopped and hung back away from the little girl staring at her.  
  
"Why are you wearing those clothes?" Mia had asked. Letty had been in jeans, an orange long sleeved t-shirt with navy stripes around the elbows, and all white Nike sneakers.  
  
"Cause. Why are you wearing that?" she replied, pointing to Mia's frilly lemon and cream colored dress. She just laughed.  
  
"I just got back from church. Wanna come to my house and play Nintendo?"  
  
"Okay, lemmie tell my ma," Letty piped up.  
  
From then on, the two were inseparable. That had been years ago and Letty and Mia, both very smart, were still very tender at the age of twenty-four. The two could still be found doing so much together. More than some best friends would've liked. But one thing was missing; Dominic. 


	2. Chapter two

The day was hot, more humid than anything, and Letty sat on the same porch that she was years ago when she first saw Dominic. She sighed and fiddled with the leather ties on her jean shorts. The sparkle in her ring caught her attention. She smiled softly as she examined the emerald cut diamond solitaire on her finger. She'd never been happier.  
  
Letty stretched and yawned as Mia pulled up in her own driveway. She got out and ran across the street, her smile never ending. She reached Letty and couldn't speak, still panting from her sprint. She shook her head.  
  
"You. never. believe who. came into the store today," she spilled breathlessly.  
  
"Okay so just tell me," Letty laughed out.  
  
"Jordan. God girl, if it wasn't for Brian-"  
  
"Mia fuck him, he's gone. You don't even know where he is."  
  
"I know but he writes and says he's coming back," she said, finally catching her breath.  
  
"So have a little fun and go out with the guy. It doesn't have to be anything serious."  
  
"Have fun? Like you?" Mia questioned. She knew it wasn't right, but sometimes Letty could really strike a nerve.  
  
"That's different, Mia," she said quietly.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Forget it, okay? Do what you want and next time don't come racing over hear to tell me about it," Letty grumbled.  
  
"Oh come on, I'm sorry! Are you guys coming over for dinner?"  
  
"Yeah. We'll be there."  
  
"Okay. Maybe I'll invite Jordan," Mia said through her sugary smile.  
  
"You do that." Letty winked at Mia and waved as she ran home to get the barbeque started. She was sure Mia had more to tell her, but obviously changed her mind when she mentioned a coded message about Letty's engagement.  
  
Letty sighed, thinking about the past. The spoiled heist entered her mind first, as it frequently does, and she held back the tears that wanted a dance on her cheeks. She refused to cry, again, and stood up to go inside the house that her parents bequeathed to her in their will. They died just before she turned eighteen and the house was empty for several years. Letty and the love of her life had been living in it for a year or two now.  
  
She opened the squeaky screen door and smiled as she heard the soft melodies of an old 'Dru Hill' cd mix into the air. She turned and saw her fiancé grinding with an invisible anomaly, singing a very high-pitched version of 'Tell me'.  
  
"You know I like to serve it on the freaky side!" he sung proudly.  
  
"Yes you do, pappi," Letty said, cackling behind him.  
  
"Ain't nice to sneak up on a man when he thinks he's alone," Roberto said.  
  
"Are those even the right words?"  
  
"Doesn't matter," he replied.  
  
Letty gave him a clever smirk. She watched his gorgeous body swing and move to the beat of the song. It wasn't until he grabbed her waist that she realized he was approaching her. Roberto spun around with her in his arms and continued dancing, getting a little naughty with her and grinning evilly.  
  
Letty just laughed softly, like she always did when she felt the mood changing. She looked at the man she was set to marry the following November. He was tall, tanned and beautiful. She never thought anyone could ever compare to Dom, but Berto was more. He treated her like a queen. He shook off all the racer skanks at every race they attended and never gave them a second glance. When one of them wanted to 'talk' with him, he'd tell them 'Sure after my Letty gets here'.  
  
She loved it. The only females he even acknowledged first were Mia, his sisters and his mother, not counting herself. No one ever made her feel so wanted. Sometimes she wondered why she'd paid so much attention to Dom when for years all he did was ignore her.  
  
Roberto was about six foot four inches tall and had the same color skin as Letty's. He was Mexican and had a thick accent that he carried with him to L.A. when his family moved there five years ago. He was muscular, nothing like Dom, but he was more defined and he had to work to keep himself in shape whereas Dom was more naturally large.  
  
Berto had a light mustache on his face and shinny ebony hair that was always perfect. His ears were pierced but he always wore diamonds in them and he never looked odd with both done. In a way, he was the pretty boy Letty never was attracted to. But he didn't act like one, and he raced. That was enough for her.  
  
"What time we gotta be at Mia's?" he inquired through the kiss he planted on her mouth.  
  
"Um. she wants us there early. Like an hour," Letty replied.  
  
"Mmmm, that's all I needed to hear."  
  
Roberto swung Letty over his shoulder and spanked her bottom with his other hand. She began to cackle like mad.  
  
"I do need to walk later!" she shouted.  
  
"Don't worry, mi reina, I'll be gentle. this time."  
  
Mia set out the fruit salad, creamed corn, baked beans and beer. She buried them in the ice of the cooler, making sure they'd stay chilled for everyone at her table. She went to the grill and checked all the steaks, turning them carefully, then went back inside to check the pineapple upside down cake.  
  
As she placed the glass pan back in the fridge, Letty and Roberto bounded in through the door. Mia stood and scowled at them.  
  
"You're lucky you're the first people here, you're half an hour late and I didn't wanna be the only asshole here if Jordan came," she lectured.  
  
Letty pointed over her shoulder at Berto, who was grinning widely.  
  
"Him. Sex fiend, all his fault," she said.  
  
Berto looped a finger through Letty's navy blue leather pants and yanked her back to him. She slapped him on the chest and 'tsked'.  
  
"Bitch if you ruin my pants!"  
  
"I'll buy you more, mami," he said. Letty eyed him suspiciously before licking his lips.  
  
Berto began babbling in Spanish and all Mia caught was, 'hard, long and wet'.  
  
"All right, c'mon you two freaks, let's go get a beer," she said, interrupting their mush fest.  
  
Soon, the backyard at Mia Toretto's house was full of people. Leon was there, with his new girl and her sister, Edwin came and drug Hector with him since they hadn't seen anyone in a while, a few women that frequented the races were there. Mia had invited them knowing Letty could tolerate them. They were more decent than most of the girls who threw themselves at any and every thing. And there was Vince.  
  
Mia's eyes gazed on him solemnly as he scratched at the scar tissue on his arm. He'd been lucky. The doctors managed to repair the ripped arteries in his flesh but the remnants of that day were very noticeable, and always aggravated him. His arm always twitched from the nerve damage that hadn't been completely fixed yet and if he were holding something, it would end up on the floor or his lap. She watched him pick at a large portion of his healed wound that had ruined the once beautiful tattoo on his skin. He sneered at it and then reached into his pocket and applied some type of cream to the itch. He glanced up and caught Mia watching him. He held her stare for a moment and gently smiled to her. She winked and sipped on her Corona, going back to the miscellaneous pieces of conversation at the table.  
  
"Mia where's that cake?" Leon asked suddenly.  
  
"In the kitchen. I'll get it," she said halfway standing.  
  
"No no, sit down, I will. Need some Advil anyhow," Letty chimed in.  
  
She stood up and kissed Berto's head then trotted into the house. She pulled the cake from fridge and stood, gathering utensils to serve it with. Letty rummaged through the drawer when something on the iron stand under the phone caught her eye.  
  
She blinked at a postcard of a beach with a gorgeous sunset. Curiosity made her walk over and gingerly pick it up, almost as if it would bite her. She turned it over and looked at the postmark before reading it.  
  
Letty's mouth fell open and her fingers released the stiff material in her hand. She watched in slow motion as it fell to the floor, messy handwriting facing up at her. She began to pant and shake, feeling queasy as she backed up to the wall.  
  
'Baja, Mexico. Baja, Mexico'. The words haunted her mind in a clouded, confused mist.  
  
"MIA!" she cried, half choking on the lump in her throat.  
  
Mia darted in and looked at Letty as if she were a crazed and looking for something to chew on.  
  
"What, woman, what?"  
  
She neared Letty and shook her lightly by the shoulders. Letty couldn't do anything but point at the element on the floor. Mia picked up the postcard and read it, her mouth slightly agape. She looked at Letty then back at the post card.  
  
"I'll be home soon," she read aloud, "love, Dominic." 


	3. Chapter three

Three months had passed since the postcard from Dominic came that day. Mia furiously cleaned and cooked for fear that he'd come home and everything would be a mess and she didn't have a hot meal ready for him. She went to his bedroom, having left it the way it was, and scrubbed everything down. She even painted the walls and bought new sheets for his bed. She washed all his clothes and restocked his cologne collection. The man could never stick to just one scent.  
  
Every Saturday she'd go to his room and dust and vacuum and straighten anything up that needed it. She was so delighted to hear from him that she didn't care that it had been two years since she saw him. He hadn't called or wrote, too afraid to get anyone caught, not knowing they'd all got off the hook thanks to Brain. Mia smiled as she straightened the magazines on the coffee table.  
  
That night, after Letty discovered Dom's message, Mia ran outside and showed it to everyone. Leon and Vince were in such shock just knowing that he was alive, they barely touched any food afterward. Roberto listened to Mia's rambling as his heart thumped in his chest. He knew all about Dom and Letty. He was afraid that he'd lose her to the man she thought she was going to spend all of her days with. He'd looked up at her, standing on the steps leading to the back door, and he saw the tears that silently went unshed, knowing any second they would rain down on their happiness. Soon after, the two left and let Mia make plans to welcome her brother home.  
  
After a while, everyone began to think Dom chickened out, and wasn't coming back. Mia was the only person who didn't give up on him. She told herself, 'Not this time. He'll keep his word.' She prayed every night and went to bed with all hope that he'd be there.  
  
Now, Mia sat on her couch, waiting for Leon and Vince to come over and have dinner with her. That night, they'd go to the races to watch Berto and Letty compete, and probably win. She heard the screen door open and then a voice called out for her.  
  
"Mia? Where you at, girl?"  
  
"In here," she replied to Letty's curious voice.  
  
She appeared and smiled, yanking down the black leather tube top that she obviously was beginning to loathe. Mia eyed her and then flipped to another channel, chuckling.  
  
"Berto wanted me to wear this damn thing. He bought it for me months ago and I refused to wear it. I finally gave in," she explained, pulling on the stitching again. She tightened the thin silver belt she wore and adjusted the dark, low cut jeans on her hips.  
  
"Feel like a whore," she finished.  
  
"You look awesome, what the hell, Let?" Mia gave her a look that she kept reserved for occasions where she was positively annoyed at the world. She got up and pulled Letty's hair out of its ponytail.  
  
"I can't believe your hair is this long," she said measuring it with her fingers. It ended at her elbows.  
  
"Dom'll love it," she thoughtlessly whispered.  
  
"Mia. I don't think he's coming."  
  
"Yes he is. I have faith. It may take some more time but he will be home."  
  
Letty gave her friend a sympathetic look and nodded.  
  
"Okay. I better go. We're going out to eat first before the races."  
  
"I'll see you there. Bye."  
  
"Later, Mia."  
  
Mia watched Letty clomp down the porch steps in her high heel boots. She never wore anything like what she had on. But lately she'd been sprucing herself up more and more. Mia knew why. She said that she didn't believe Dom would come, but Mia knew otherwise. Berto never told Letty what to wear, or asked her to wear something for him. He just wasn't that kind of man. Mia didn't care. She never questioned Berto, about Letty's clothes that night, either. As long as people still had hope, she would never care.  
  
Mia rode with Vince to the races. She again, called and asked Jordan for his company but this time was rejected. Racing wasn't his thing and Mia decided to finally gave up on him. He told her he'd be at the barbeque that day and he never showed. She never asked why, only listened as he apologized for his absence. It wasn't the first time she'd asked him to attend something she would be at. It was only the first time she'd made her feelings about him clearer.  
  
She snuck a look at Vince who was concentrating on the road, softly smiling at life in general. His arm hadn't given him any trouble and Mia could tell how happy he was about that. He looked good. Better than usual. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed and his hair still had the tousled look only Vince could pull off. He wore a long sleeved hunter green thermal shirt and black jeans. Mia couldn't believe how hot he looked.  
  
"Heard anything from Dom, Mi?" he asked, breaking her concentration on him.  
  
"Um, no." The disappointment was hard to hide. Vince smiled and rubbed her knee.  
  
"He'll come back. He wouldn't lie to you," he said.  
  
Their eyes met for a moment and he winked at her blinding smile. Mia looked down at his hand and then stroked the top with her fingers. When she looked back up at him, she found that he was looking directly at her, unable to keep his happiness from showing.  
  
Soon, they pulled onto the street where the racing would commence and parked next to Leon. Letty and Roberto met them at their cars.  
  
"Any of you guys racin'?" Berto asked.  
  
"Nah. Just gonna relax and maybe check out some women," Vince said. He didn't race much after Dom left.  
  
Leon shrugged and began to look around at all the prospective new women he could take home. His girlfriend dumped him for someone else and then ended up pregnant; there in turn she was dumped.  
  
Mia continued to watch and listen to Vince talk about all the beautiful women wandering around them, some of them waving, others blowing kisses, and she felt a tiny pang in her chest that made her stop and think.  
  
What was that? Jealousy? No, it was hurt. She knew how vicious the women in the racing scene could be. If they knew about his arm and the lack of control, they'd run back to all their skanky buddies and jabber on about how Vince couldn't get them off because his appendage had a mind of its own.  
  
That was some of it. Mia gave up on the confusion she was swimming in in her mind and watched the starting races. Roberto won three and collected twenty large in change from his competitors. Letty raced twice. She won one and lost the other.  
  
Vince turned around and found Mia in a daze, staring at her feet. He shoved his hand in his pocket, feeling a twitching fit coming on and walked smoothly to her side. When she didn't look up, he nudged her gently.  
  
"Hey, where are you at tonight?"  
  
Mia met his eyes and shrugged.  
  
"I was just- thinking about Dom, I guess."  
  
"You guess?" Vince chuckled at her.  
  
"Well. that was one thing."  
  
"The other?"  
  
"I was thinking about how rude I was to you in the past when you asked me out all those times. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am. I almost lost you. Lost my friend. Someone who always took care of me when some guy just dumped me on the steps of my porch and took off."  
  
Vince looked at Mia's hands twisting the bottom of her shirt into knots. He knew how hard it was for her to say all that. She didn't have to, of course, he always knew she was grateful for him in the back of his mind.  
  
"I really appreciate that, Mia," he said slowly and deeply. She smiled.  
  
"So. Um. I was thinkin'.maybe I should've said yes back then. But- do you- God," she stammered.  
  
"It's okay. You can tell me or ask me anything," he said.  
  
"I think maybe we should give it a shot. Only if you want to, though. I understand if you don't."  
  
"What made you so sure I'd wanna go out with you after all the rejection you put me through?" he inquired curiously.  
  
"Oh, Vince. I'm sorry. I didn't-"  
  
"Mia?"  
  
"Huh?" Mia could feel the slap across the face his words gave her and she was inwardly wincing, not letting him know how bad it had hurt. She looked up at his face, not realizing how red her cheeks had become.  
  
"I'd love to."  
  
Mia blinked. She began to laugh softly, not expecting him to still want her, and then grinned at him with blazingly white teeth. She nodded.  
  
"Okay. Wow," she replied.  
  
Vince reached down and took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips. He watched her over the top of her knuckles as he placed a juicy kiss on them. She looked at him, adoringly, and moved closer to the man she should've been with all along.  
  
Letty stood several yards from them, watching, and beaming to herself. She always knew that Mia would end up with Vince someday. She just didn't know how long it would take. She noticed the crowd thinning out and decided it was time to leave. She gathered Roberto and Leon to her and they made plans to meet back at Mia's for their usual gathering.  
  
The house was jumping, as usual, and everyone was having a good time. There weren't a lot of people at Mia's but there was enough for a decent party. Letty and Berto took up residence on the love seat and Mia and Vince sat on the couch, watching Leon hit on several women before finally finding one that would give him her undivided attention.  
  
People were dancing and chatting happily, sipping their beers and cuddling with the opposite sex. Or in some cases. the same sex.  
  
Leon's attention was brought to the front of the house off to his left when the screen door squeaked as it opened, signaling the entrance of a new partygoer. His Corona slipped from his fingers and hit the floor, not bursting because of the carpet. Mia watched as the liquid put a stain on her freshly cleaned carpet.  
  
"Damn it Leon! Watch what your doing!" she shouted.  
  
He didn't yell back. He didn't look at her. His hand rose and pointed to the front door. By now everyone at the party had shut up and only the thumping of 'Nelly' could be heard. Mia gave Leon a puzzled look and turned to see what he was gawking at.  
  
She blinked. She stood from Vince's lap and began to shake. Vince rose next to her, his good hand covering his mouth. Letty continued to ignore almost everything around her as she drank in the loving things Roberto whispered in her ear in Spanish. She laughed and that's when she noticed the scene before her. She looked over and nearly fell from Roberto's lap.  
  
"Oh my God," she whispered.  
  
Dominic stood there, afraid to do or say anything to them. He removed his jacket from his body, revealing larger, more defined and tanned muscles to the crowd. He hung it on the hook on the wall and looked back at his friends, suddenly turning shy as he stuck his hands in his pockets.  
  
"Hey," he rumbled in a low voice.  
  
Letty stood up and walked over to him, her chest heaving as she neared him. She placed her hands on his hips and squeezed gently. Her left hand involuntarily ran up his chest to feel the rock hard pecs under his skin. She panted, unable to conceive that he was standing right in front of her. She looked at his face, at the small smile on his mouth.  
  
And then it all came flooding back to her. Two years of silence. No calls. No letters. Nothing. Before she could stop herself, Letty balled her hand into a fist and swung upward, connecting with Dom's lip. She sneered as the blood trickled down his chin and his eyes ravaged her with all the hurt they could muster.  
  
"Asshole," she hissed in a whisper.  
  
She backed away from him and put her hands on her face to try and control the sobs that threatened to rack her body. She ran from the Toretto house and screamed into the night before nearly collapsing in her front yard. Berto took off after her and just made it, catching her before she landed on the ground in a heap.  
  
Dom lifted his black shirt to his lip to catch the blood.  
  
"Guess she's mad at me," he muttered to no one and everyone at the same time.  
  
Mia ran to him and jumped into his arms, sobbing, whispering how much she'd missed him. Dom held her in his arms and inhaled deeply. His eyes moved to Vince and Leon who were now smiling. Soon, they joined them. Dom pulled his head out of the group hug and looked around at all the stunned faces in his house.  
  
"Party's over. Get the fuck out," he announced, and then went back to pouring affection over his baby sister and two best friends. 


	4. Chapter four

Dominic sat in the swing on his front porch. He didn't know who had installed it but was grateful they were smart enough to keep it facing away from the sun. He sipped his Coke and licked the fizzy cola from his lips, staring at nothing and yet studying everything he looked at. His mind wandered to Letty, much as it had done since he arrived home. He hadn't seen her and Mia said she hadn't talked to her.   
  
That was four days ago.  
  
He knew the whole drug out, depressing story of how bad off Letty was without him. And then how her world turned around upon the arrival of one Roberto Lopez. Dom turned to look at the shabby butter cream colored house. There was no movement inside or out.  
  
'Wonder if they're sleeping late,' he thought.  
  
Dominic suddenly began to regret how he treated Letty in the past. But he wasn't as bad as anyone had assumed either. There wasn't a new girl every night and he didn't sneak off to buy crack like an ex-girlfriend had accused him of in front of Letty. The rumors would always be in Letty's reach and all she had to do was go down to Racer's Edge and ask around; see what information she could get on what Dominic Toretto had done the night before.  
  
She would never listen to him. And he was supposed to be the one she trusted and loved. He never let on how her distrust and accusations tormented him. It pained him to see her huddled in the corner of the couch, crying to herself because some moron fed her a bunch of lies.  
  
Dom shook away the biting memories and finished his soda. He tossed the can into the recycle container across the porch and got up in search of something to do. He decided to go down to the store and the garage to check on things. He hadn't gone yet because of the memories those places held.  
  
Some time later, Dominic pulled up across from the store letting the rumble of the Charger's engine relax his burning muscles. Leon, Vince and Roberto had restored it completely. Dom had taken quite an interest in what Roberto had done when he heard this.  
  
"Mostly he transported parts for us. But when he got his hands on the paint gun, he was in love," Vince had explained. Dom nearly choked when he heard the cost of the repairs.  
  
Sighing, he opened the door and exited his beauty in one cool, smooth motion. His stride across the street made him known to the world even though all he really wanted was to go unnoticed.  
  
"Hey, Mia," he chirped from the depths of his belly.  
  
The box Mia had been holding fell to the floor as she whirled around, obviously stunned by the sudden presence of another human.  
  
"Dom. Hey, sorry. you scared the shit outta me," she said.  
  
"Didn't mean to. Just thought I'd see how things were down here."  
  
"Well, there isn't crap going on here. I don't know about at the shop. You should call."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Dom watched Mia avoid his stare and scoot away from the counter top back to her box. He crossed his arms and waited for some awesome force to make her confess to something she didn't want to reveal to him.  
  
"Mia."  
  
"Letty and Berto are working today."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So? Dom, you've been gone for two years. No word from you, none from Brian about you." Mia trailed off, a loss for words gripping her throat.  
  
"Can you see where I'm going with this?" she asked.  
  
He smiled. "Don't worry, Mi, everything'll be fine," he said, and then he left.  
  
"Would someone like to explain to me why this brand fuckin' new camshaft is on the fuckin' cement waiting to get ruined?"  
  
The new employees all looked at one another, and then back at Leon who was gingerly picking up the piece of the engine as if it were sacred. He held it to his chest, aggravation growing in his features.  
  
"Incompetents," he muttered.  
  
Dominic smiled as he watched Leon walk over to the metal workbench and place the camshaft onto the soft white cloth that had been put there specifically for sensitive parts. He detected movement just behind him and turned halfway around to find Roberto there, dragging his left leg up to meet the right. He looked like he was being controlled by someone's remote and put into slow motion.  
  
Berto nodded and then reached out his hand to Dom.  
  
"Roberto Mario Lopez," he said, quite proud to have his deceased older brother's first name as his second name.  
  
"Dominic.. Antonio Toretto." The hesitation didn't seem to phase Roberto.  
  
"Glad to finally meet you. Heard a lot abou-"  
  
Berto closed his mouth and pulled his eyes from Dom's.  
  
"All bad I hope," Dom replied, hoping to ease the sudden, thick tension.  
  
Berto nodded. "Most of it."  
  
"Guess I can't blame her," Dom said, referring to Letty.  
  
"Guess not."  
  
Dom's fingers lifted to his chin and he wiped the tiny drops of moisture from his the crease under his lip. He exhaled loudly and began to study the '94 Mustang parked less than fifteen yards from them.  
  
"S'that doing here?" Dominic asked.  
  
"Guy wanted some detailing. Doesn't look like a high performance machine, does it?"  
  
Dom shook his head.  
  
"Know how much horse power resides in that block?"  
  
"How much?"  
  
"Close to nine-hundred. Fuckin' guy almost killed himself racing Vince. Lost control, had to use 'The jaws of Life' to cut him out."  
  
"Christ," Dominic muttered.  
  
"Yeah. Someone said he shit himself."  
  
Dominic looked at Roberto. They were quiet for five seconds and then both of them burst out laughing, holding their bellies, bellowing loudly from the depths of their bodies.  
  
"That's not supposed to be funny," Leon called out from the doorframe that led to the main office across from the table he'd previously been at.  
  
"Well, it's sad, but it is," Dom answered.  
  
"You here to work?" Leon inquired.  
  
"You need help?"  
  
"God these fuckin' fuck sticks fuckin' suck!"  
  
Dom laughed. "Okay."  
  
Letty watched from the window of her Explorer. She liked to give her racing machine a rest during the week. Like Leon, she had begun racing a Skyline and driving on the opposite side of the road had affected her the same way Dom's absence had. Mostly, she felt out of control.  
  
She watched as her fiancé, ex-boyfriend, and his best friend wandered back into the shop, laughing at the expense of Ben Hanings and his colostomy bag. She shook her head, wondering if Berto and Leon even knew the poor man had had his intestines cut from his torso when he wrecked.  
  
She sighed. Her life had just become complicated. For a few years it was nice to know what the future held. But now, the clarity that came to her in her dreams for her and Berto's life was now hazy. Letty sighed, again, and prayed that the next few months would go by smoothly and quickly. 


	5. Chapter five

Time flew by and two days had passed before he saw Letty again. Dominic was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a waffle and reading the want ads. Everyone else was still in bed. He used to scan the ads a lot before everything went sour. Sometimes a good price on a part he needed would show up.  
  
Rapping from the front door brought Dom's head around to scan the hallway like he half expected the visitor to be standing there. He began walking toward the sound, yawning loudly. A small gasp floated into the air. Immediately, before his eyes found her leaner, sexier, and more irresistible body, Dom knew who was standing there.  
  
"Mia's in bed," he said, not revealing himself to Letty.  
  
"Oh. Do you care if I come in and wait for her? Every Sunday we hang out and just..."  
  
"Do girly stuff? You into that now?" Dom asked through a chuckle.  
  
Letty smiled to herself. "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"All right. But I have to warn you; I'm unshaven, smelly and half naked."  
  
She swallowed and folded nimble fingers around the screen door's handle and pulled. She stepped in and moved slowly to where Dom was standing. He wasn't anything he had said he was and Letty laughed at his effort to make her smile.  
  
"Fuckin' liar," she mumbled.  
  
"So, I had your hopes up?"  
  
"Pft, you wish."  
  
Dom nodded and went back to the table. His waffle was cold now but he wasn't thinking about that. He stared at Letty as she stood with her back to him. He studied the way her maroon leather shorts hugged the muscles in her rear. Each fold lying so perfectly that it seemed that the material was purposely cuddling against her flesh.  
  
He noted her top was backless and tied in two places. Her ebony locks poured down around her frame and still shined in the dim light of the living room. Dom wiped his mouth. Those old feelings reared up for a moment before he decided to fight them and speak to her.  
  
"When's the wedding?"  
  
Letty froze in place. She didn't know why his question caught her off guard. He knew everything. There wasn't a reason he shouldn't be curious.  
  
"November."  
  
"Ah. Good time. Fall... and stuff," he replied, wondering what in the hell he was talking about.  
  
"Berto's family have a lot of celebrations in November. His birthday, his mom's, cousin's, anniversaries, Dia de los Muertos."  
  
"He's Mexican?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Didn't think you liked Mexicans after Bernice," Dom said, suddenly wishing he hadn't.  
  
"Dominic just shut up," Letty spat. She didn't even intend on the words leaving her mouth but it happened.  
  
He put a hand on his chest as if defending himself from an unseen onslaught that was about to happen.  
  
"You know I didn't mean anything by it."  
  
She looked at his face. Hard. For the first time since he was home she noticed the changes of his body. Darker than caramel skin stretched taunt over larger, more defined muscles seemed to be the main thing. He seemed more alert as well. She watched him take her presence in and hold it in his mind, parched from not having any recent memories of her.  
  
"I better go. Just tell Mia to call me."  
  
Dominic nodded. "No problem."  
  
Letty gently patted his hand on her way out. His only response was a small grin placed right in the corner of his mouth. And then suddenly, he caught her middle finger with his index finger and held it tightly. She turned to him, wondering what had brought on this urgent desperation.  
  
"I miss her," he whispered.  
  
"Me too, baby," Letty replied. The pet name wasn't one of affection, but one of understanding that she often called people by when they were in need or hurt.  
  
Dominic moved his head in the direction of Letty's arm and his nose barely touched her skin. It tickled them both, but neither laughed. It was a sensual movement, one that brought on many memories. He smelled her. She was delicious. A variation of vanilla and spice, although it wasn't of any that you'd find in the kitchen. It just smelled hot and strong. Carnal, almost.  
  
He parted his lips and let them finish the trail his nose started, fighting the temptation to taste her. Letty felt her chest heave up and down. And then Berto flashed through her mind. Followed by Lin Tran, Marie Coleman, and the Mexican waitress she found him with at the bar in their motel. She was definitely not serving him a drink.  
  
"Dom-"the phone cut her off.  
  
Dominic sprang up from his seat, not touching the table or moving the chair as he went for the telephone. Without looking at Letty, he plucked the earpiece from the receiver and turned away from her.  
  
Letty placed herself in his chair and tried not to listen to him. She watched his shoulders go up and down from soft laughter. Several minutes later, the conversation ended and Dom was watching her, again.  
  
She stood, wanting to go to him and just, relearn his physique. But halfway there, her cell phone rang but instead of an annoying chime a 'Chingy' ring tone caught their attention. A second later, the pipes from the bathroom above them squeaked.  
  
"Mia's up. I gotta go get ready. Stuff... to..." Dom mumbled as he walked away.  
  
Letty sighed and answered her phone.  
  
"Yeah? Hey honey. No I'm just at Mia's, gonna see what she wants to do. Okay. You too, Pappi Bear. Bye."  
  
She sat back down and placed her forehead against her wrist. Tears burned her deep, brown eyes.  
  
'What the fuck am I doing?' 


	6. Chapter six

Note: This one's a little shorter but I wanna keep everyone on their toes and hopefully wanting more. Glad everyone enjoys this story, hope everyone has time for a short feedback message. I enjoy them. Thanks again.  
  
Mia completely filled the armchair, reading a novel that her English teacher recommended. It was boring and often she found herself daydreaming in the middle of a page she started. She couldn't even remember the title.  
  
She was waiting for Dominic to come home. He said he had to drive to San Francisco to do something. She couldn't fathom a reason he'd want to go there. He never liked it. He left around eight a.m. and it was now after one p.m.  
  
"Anyone here?"  
  
"Yeah!" Mia squealed in response to Letty's voice.  
  
She remembered the story Letty had told her about the other morning. With Dom. It wasn't surprising to Mia, they both missed each other like crazy and they both knew it. It was a good thing Berto's call had interrupted them.  
  
"Hey," Letty said. Berto appeared a moment later and waved to Mia.  
  
"Hey guys. You wanna stay for dinner? Dom told me to make something spectacular and to have everyone here when he got back."  
  
"I don't think I'm a part of 'everyone' anymore," Letty replied.  
  
"Don't be silly, Boo, you and Domoboy are both adults. He can handle it."  
  
Letty quickly glanced at Mia and then looked up at Berto, who was sitting on the arm of the couch next to her. She hesitated and then nodded, knowing he just wanted to stay for Mia's food.  
  
"Well, I guess we can stay. Since Mia has invited us."  
  
"Exactly," Mia replied through an overly sweet smile.  
  
Everyone gathered at the table, laughing and passing dishes around to scoop out a helping of everything Mia had made. Everyone included Leon, Letty, Berto, Vince, Hector, Leon's date, and herself. Everything included salad, garlic crumb bread, peach cobbler and lasagna. It was just after five and there was no sign of Dominic. He hadn't called and Mia knew it wasn't that long of a drive from L.A. to San Francisco.  
  
I 'Probably stopped to bang some street whore,/I Mia jokingly thought.  
  
Just then, the screen door squeaked and a minute later slammed shut. Everyone stopped and Dominic could be heard mumbling something to someone. He could've been chastising them for slamming the door.  
  
"Dom?" Mia called out.  
  
He appeared in the kitchen doorway and coyly waved to them all at the table. He noted Letty and Berto's presence and nodded as he looked at their curious faces. He reached around the wall and pulled a lingering body to his side.  
  
It was a woman. A gorgeous woman. She was about five foot three inches tall and one hundred twenty pounds. Her hair was long and flowing in the breeze from the fans placed in all the windows. It was an espresso color and her eyes were and aqua-greenish colored. Her breasts were large but not super sized and looked so natural that God himself may have sculpted them on her body. She was dressed in a light pink sundress and white flat sandals. She was obviously terrified to be there. Dom took her hand and she looked at him with anxiety on her face.  
  
"Everyone, this is Nicolette."  
  
No one said anything. A faint, whimpering noise echoed behind Dom. He blinked and turned around, smiling at something. When he turned back around, he was holding an infant in his arms, no more then eighteen months old. The little girl yawned and giggled when Dominic tickled her ribs.  
  
"And this is Raynette."  
  
Mia watched the baby squirm around in Dom's embrace. She looked at the child's nose and her eyes. But her chin. That was Mia's mother's chin. She covered her mouth with her hand and her posture fell, needing extra support from the table. She knew what was coming next.  
  
"Nic is my wife. And Ray is my daughter."  
  
The silent tension and confusion was overwhelming. Vince held Mia's free hand, Hector sat there, his mouth gaping wide, Leon's date wasn't sure what to do and for that matter, neither did Leon. Berto was quiet but he chewed slowly with a slight grin on his face as if the news were good for him.  
  
Letty was the only one of them who showed any emotion and even then, it wasn't spoken. Her chest heaved in the shock of the new revelation and her eyebrows furrowed with what looked like devastation and misinterpretation. A moment later, she stood, slowly, and took soft steps to the back door, stepping outside for air before she fainted. 


	7. Chapter seven

Mia wiped Letty's forehead with the moist cloth the nurse had left. After her episode at the Toretto residence, Berto rushed Letty to the hospital. She'd been having anxiety and panic attacks from the past few months' stress. Her doctor said that if she ever lost consciousness she should go to the emergency room and have her blood pressure checked and monitored.

Luckily, the nurse that attended to Letty managed to get her blood pressure under control with a small dose of medicine. Now she just needed rest, especially in her condition.

"What happened?" Letty mumbled.

Berto walked toward Letty, dawdling at her feet before moving closer to her. Mia rubbed her forehead and tried to put on a smile for her best friend's sake. She inhaled deeply before speaking.

"You fainted, Let, on our lawn. We rushed you here because the doctor said your blood pressure-"

"Yeah I know all that. I mean… shit, fuck it, I don't know what I mean."

Letty's hands swam through the ocean of black hair that lay splayed out on her pillow. It hit her too hard. Dom's news whispered their way to the front of her mind and tormented her like little demons would, jabbing pitchforks at her toes. She hated anyone to touch her toes and that was her idea of hell.

"Letty. There's more."

Confusion crossed her face as she studied Mia's worried expression. She grasped her friend's hand and urged her on. Whatever it was, Letty knew she was strong enough to handle it.

"Your pregnant. The nurse discovered the baby's heartbeat on a routine examination of your abdomen. An ultrasound indicated that you are at least five weeks along," Mia gently explained.

The sickening feeling in Letty's stomach wouldn't quit. She squeezed her lips together tightly and then slung her eyes up toward Roberto. He didn't want children. Letty had been on the pill since they decided to be together. He told her that when he got older, he would be able to handle the responsibility of fatherhood better, and then they could discuss it.

Letty has always assumed that he would change his mind and the thought of toting around an infant in the back of a tiny high performance car would be ridiculous. But now, things were out of control. She knew the threat of Berto leaving her was rearing itself at her from behind her hopes and dreams of the future.

"I'm not done, sweeitie."

"Oh, what could be worse? Twins?"

Mia swallowed. "They think you might have cancer, Letty."

Her eyes flooded with tears and she stared at Mia, unable to speak or move. Letty finally turned to Roberto who was clenching his fist. His jaw twitched, like it always did when he was emotional.

"So, what does that mean, exactly?" Letty asked, battling with herself, and trying not to cry.

"They said your x-rays were clear, and your c.t. was fine. So it's not brain or lung cancer. They also ruled out liver cancer and Leukemia. The next steps are to test for bone marrow, cervical, and that… shit… the one that attacks your glands… lymph-"

"Yeah, I know what you're saying."

Mia stroked Letty's hand. It was close to midnight and Mia had been there the whole time. She needed to get home to check on Dom and Nico, as he often called his very French, and very rich wife.

"Hon, I'm sorry. I have to go it's late and I don't even know what's going on with Dom. I'll come back first thing in the morning, okay?"

"The morning?" Letty's voice was laced with bewilderment.

"Your doctor wants you to stay overnight. For tests in the morning. And to monitor you and the baby," Berto piped in.

Mia hugged Letty good-bye, and then quickly strode off, leaving the couple to talk amongst themselves. Berto sat next to Letty on the bed. He rubbed his face and then sighed, wondering what to do next.

"What?" she quietly asked.

"What do you think?" he replied, a little annoyed that she couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

"Look. I know you didn't want kids. But we're gonna have one. I don't know what happened. I guess that one time I couldn't get my pills and we used condoms-" p

"Oh my God, Let!"

They stared at each other for a long moment, Berto in shock and Letty lost in confusion. He turned away, closing his eyes and trying to find a little bit of peace before things got worse.

"I'm not worried about being a father, Letrisha. I'm worried about you. I cannot lose you. And if you're really sick… I don't want to think about what's gonna happen to you. But, think about what's going to happen to this baby if you have to have chemo and radiation."

"No, Berto. I don't fucking care. I'm not getting an abortion. This could be my only chance if it's cervical."

"Letty God damn it! If you have to take drugs for pain it could become addicted! And you could miscarry! And it could be stillborn! And it could go through withdrawal when it's born five months early!"

"FUCK YOU! What could you live with? All of that? Or killing your own child!"

She suddenly regretted her outburst but she wanted him to really think about it. Maybe it was selfish. But there was no way she could send her baby back to God. She'd rather have God take it if that's what he wanted. Killing the child didn't give God a choice. Her way, it did.

"I'm going home. I'll see you tomorrow."

Berto kissed her forehead and retreated from their verbal battery. Letty's bottom lip quivered and she cried. For a long time. And it was the first time she'd cried since she realized that Dominic wouldn't be coming home.


	8. Chapter eight

Letty stared out the window from her queen size bed. She asked Berto to move it for her so she could yell out at Mia when she saw her. Ever since she was ordered to go on bed rest, it was the one of the ways she communicated with Mia. Berto took the phone downstairs to charge and forgot to bring her the Stone Age rotary from the kitchen.

Roberto had been spending a lot of time away from home since Letty was diagnosed with cervical cancer three months ago. As expected, she had every side effect from the chemo that all the doctors speculated she'd have. Her long, sleek hair was almost completely gone. She couldn't eat and maintenance was twice as bad for her than for other Cancer patients. Her weight dropped to 98 pounds and five of that was from the swell in her abdomen where her child resided.

Letty scratched her scalp through the baby blue bandana tied to her head. Nicolette's car pulled tightly into its usual parking spot on the street and the engine quickly cut off. Dom got out and stood next to the car, waiting for his wife. When she appeared, she stalked away from him, not even bothering to shut the driver's side door.

"Nic!" Letty heard Dom call out.

'Trouble in Paradise,' she thought.

She slipped back down into bed and sighed, trying to think of a way to kill the boredom. A screen door slammed shut across the street and Letty sat up in time to see Dominic charging over to her front yard. He was carrying… something.

"Let?"

"Yeah, up here."

When he appeared, the butterflies came on, fluttering as if she were a teenage girl with a high school crush. Her hand instinctively went to her belly, resting just at the top of her bulge.

"How ya feelin'?" he asked her, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

"Better. I'm almost done puking for the week." They both laughed a little.

"Haven't seen you since Mia's birthday party."

"Yeah," she replied wistfully. By then, the whole street racing circuit knew of her illness. Some people had given her pity and others had shown her sincere concern. That night, the only words she and Dom had spoken to each other were 'hellos'.

"Mia made you some vegetable soup. No onions, lots of peppers and big chunks of meat. Like you like."

"Peas?"

"What?"

"Peas are to me what fish is to most pregnant women," she said.

"Oh. Um…."

He opened the lid and swirled the food a little, looking for the little green annoyances.

"Don't see any."

"Good. Just set it on the table, I'll eat some in a few minutes."

Dominic nodded and after discarding the pot from his hand, he folded his fingers together, thinking hard about what he wanted to say. He looked over and found that Letty was obviously waiting for whatever it was he had prepared to say.

"How are you and Berto doing?"

"I don't know. He never spends anytime here. I don't think he can handle seeing me like this. I feel bad for him."

"You shouldn't. He's being selfish. You need him and he's never here," Dom said, shaking his head in slight anger.

Letty groaned and slung her legs over the side of the mattress. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to knock out the nausea that washed over her body. She lurched forward and then found the energy to jump to her feet, scurrying to the toilet across the room.

Dominic rose to his full stance and winced as she slammed the door shut and began to vomit at the same time. He felt helpless. And useless. Two things he hated the most. He fiddled with the change in his pocket and listened to the quick rush of water as Letty spit a mouthful of it into the drain.

"Sorry," she mumbled as the door opened.

"That's not your fault."

He could see how week she was and he went to her, scooping her up in his arms. He could smell the minty odor of Listerine from her lips. The urge to hold her in his arms for the rest of the day came unexpectedly. He stepped onto the bed and gently sat in the corner of the walls with Letty still curled up in his grasp. She sighed and then nuzzled his chest, something she used to do when she felt the affection build between them.

"I miss you so much," she whispered into his chest. For some reason, Dominic was relieved to hear those words.

"I miss you, too, baby." He kissed the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her detergent from the bandana. Letty pulled away and stared into those intense, intimidating brown eyes that drew her in from day one.

She couldn't stop herself, even if her life had depended on it. She caressed his lips with hers and before they knew it, they were entangled in each other's arms, just as their tongues were in their mouths. Letty felt the instant erection in Dom's pants and she groaned, wanting nothing more than to go down on him and remind him whom he really loved.

The faint thump of loud bass echoed from down their street and before removing herself from his body, Letty ground her hip against the strained member in Dom's pants. He moaned into her lips and she smiled a little, wishing they could continue on where _he_ left off.

"That's probably Berto. You should go. We can't do this right now."

Dominic nodded. "I know. But it's so good to feel you again."

"I agree," she replied, noting that the bass was drawing closer.

"I'll come back when he leaves again. You can't be alone."

"Okay."

-

They rode in silence, Berto watching the road, and Letty staring out the car window. Her schedule for regular obstetric checkups was hectic. She saw her doctor three times a week; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Ultrasounds twice a week; Tuesdays and Thursdays. And non-stress tests took place on Saturdays and Sundays. Today was Wednesday.

Dr. Newman's office was packed, as usual, and Letty knew they'd wait at least thirty minutes before she'd be called back to be weighed and piss in a cup. And then possibly another thirty to be seen. So when the newest nurse called her name, she blinked in surprise and rose to her feet without looking back at Berto as he followed. After the normal routine, the nurse took them to room five and directed Letty to lie down on her left side.

"You're blood pressure must be up," Berto mumbled as the nurse left. Letty nodded.

"I don't doubt it. Delaying the wedding and having to reschedule shit got to me."

"Yeah."

"Berto. I understand why you're not home so much. I want you to know it's okay."

"What if it wasn't okay?" he asked in a bold, nearly irritated voice.

"Well… I have Mia, and I'd get over it."

Berto's scowl disappeared and he nodded. "I'm glad you have family, Let. Even if they're your surrogates."

Before Letty could ask what he meant, the doctor knocked on the oak sliding door and then stepped in.

"Hello hello!" she chirped. Letty just smiled at her and turned on her back. The exam took no time at all and the report was good. Nice, strong, healthy heartbeat. A slight growth in the size of Letty's uterus. All seemed well.

"Okay that's it!"

Dr. Newman washed her hands and then patted Letty's knee as she sat up.

"Really?"

"Yep. I see no cause for a change in the way we're monitoring you right now, everything appears normal and since you don't have any complaints, there's nothing to worry about right now. Just make sure to keep your ultrasounds regular, those are a big key in the monitoring process."

"Absolutely!" Letty replied. It was the happiest she'd been in a long time. Every other visit she had seemed to bring about a new problem in the pregnancy. Dr. Newman left the room and Letty scrambled to her feet. She glanced at Berto.

He too was standing. His hands were in his pockets and a slight slump in his posture signaled an emotional moment coming on. The next thing Letty knew, she was in a tight embrace with the man, that only hours earlier, she had considered cheating on.


End file.
